Mitocromin: an antibiotic with antitumor activity.

A numberof antimicrobial agents possess the structural unit which is a derivative of 7, 8, 9, 10-tetrahydrotetracene quinone (5, 12) present in glycosidic union with oneor more sugar units. The term anthracyclines was proposed for this group15. The recognition that one of the members, daunomycin exhibited some antitumor activity focused fresh attention on this group of compounds2). We wish to report the isolation of a new number of this class named mitocromin. In addition to being antibacterial, mitocromin shows significant activity against Walker 256 carcinosarcoma in rats and leukemia P-388 in mice. Mitocromin is produced by two unidentified species of Streptomyces, designated as B35251 and B105621. The cultures are maintained in the usual complex natural media, a typical example being the following: glucose 1%, soy bean meal 1.5%Y